Maribor without Luka Zahovic and Denis Sme for Liverpool Champions League trip

NK Maribor will remain without long-term absentees Luka Zahovic and Denis Sme for their second Champions League tie against Liverpool as the reigning Slovenian champions look to make amends for their ugly thrashing on home soil at Anfield.

Former Leeds United boss Darko Milanic's current side conceded seven goals without reply when the Reds visited the Stadion Ljudski vrt a fortnight ago and found themselves on the receiving end of the biggest away victory by an English club in European Cup history.

The Group E minnows will attempt to claw back some respectability on Merseyside on Wednesday (1 November) without the services of Zahovic.

The talented young Portuguese-born forward, son of director Zlatko Zahovic, completed a permanent return to Maribor earlier this year after first rejoining on loan from Eredivisie outfit Heerenveen, broke his collarbone in August and was initially ruled out for a period of six weeks.

While Zahovic returned to action earlier this month, he suffered a further setback on the eve of that heavy defeat to Liverpool when he broke a metal plate in the collarbone during a training session and required another operation.

Defender Sme also underwent surgery in September and both players were absent from the 22-man travelling Maribor squad that were due to depart for England at 10.00 CET this morning only to be delayed by technical issues with their plane.

More will be known on Liverpool's injury situation when manager Jurgen Klopp addresses the media on Tuesday afternoon, with Philippe Coutinho still doubtful as a result of the adductor injury picked up in training last week that kept him sidelined for the 3-0 Premier League defeat of Huddersfield Town.

Klopp has already said that he expects Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane to make their respective comebacks after the forthcoming international break, while it remains to be seen if oft-maligned centre-back Dejan Lovren will be fit to feature after sustaining a groin injury in the warm-up on Saturday. Nathaniel Clyne remains out and third-choice goalkeeper Danny Ward has been nursing a back problem.

Liverpool cannot secure qualification for the round of 16 with another win against Maribor, although their opponents can be officially eliminated from contention if they lose again and Russian counterparts Spartak Moscow beat Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

The Violets, whose solitary point to date came with a 1-1 draw at home to Spartak in September, have lost on all four of their previous visits to England.